Thread: Preventing and dealing with fires in the workshop

Looking at the latest Aldi cattledog they have 1m x 1m fire blankets for about $7.
Why not just buy a few of these for machine covers?
I pulled out our old Quell blanket from the kitchen cupboard and realised it would soon unravel as the edges weren’t finished at all and threads were loose even though it had never been pulled out of its sheath before.
The Aldi one is branded Delta but looks identical to the old quell from its picky.
H.

I cut up a Quell fire blanket to make a cover for my tiny DOP (dispersed oil particulate) machine. SWMBO did the sewing and hemmed all the edges using a heat resistant Aramid thread bought on line.
Any Oil impregnated in fiber glass cloth can still burn - think lamp wick - shouldn’t burn as long but could burn long enough to set other things alight.

Thanks clear out - we've got an Aldi store about 5mins down the road, so I'll definitely pay them a visit on Saturday and see if I can pick a few up. Online cattledog says they are experiencing delays with that particular item, but I'm not sure if that's store specific or just general.

Paid a visit to the facilities dept at work today and came away with some reject extinguishers from the last regular inspection.
Couple of 4.5kg dry powders that I think were just time-expired (but unused and still showing green on the gauge), a CO2 that had the safety pin missing (but still full - I'll make a pin), and a 10L pressurised water type thats covered in concrete spatter but otherwise perfectly serviceable.
There were a couple of foam ones too, but I was already feeling a bit greedy with the 4 others so left those there.

I'll look at possibly mounting the CO2 on the MIG trolley - or perhaps making another smaller welding-related trolley with extinguisher, somewhere to hang my welding jacket and helmet/gloves and associated crap. It could just live near the welding bench normally, but easy to grab and take to another part of the workshop with the MIG/plasma if required.

On a different note - I was in the office today and ended up chatting to the contractor who does our security alarms and cameras.
He doesn't play much in the fire detection space as its separate certification and regs, but we did discuss basic temperature alarm sensors etc.
Some apparently are able to detect rate-of-rise which would be much more appropriate in a workshop than just steady temperature.
He also mentioned that some of the cameras are now coming out with inbuilt fire detection capability - which had my interest - until he said the ones he'd come across were typically upwards of $1500 per camera....

Apart from actively setting the workshop on fire while I'm in it, a background concern is something smouldering that comes alive after I've finished for the day.
I consciously try not to do any hot work within 15-20mins of leaving the workshop, and always cast my eye around before closing the door in case there's something visible.
Smoke detectors would be pointless as apart from me making lots of it, there's too much dust and crap. Some form of thermal alarm might be OK, but I think practically by the time a sensor in the roof gets to 85deg then you've likely got a pretty decent BBQ going below..
Camera based fire detection sounds awesome - but I'd like to remove a zero from the camera price tag.

For anyone interested, here's a promo video from one of the camera manufacturers - Hikvision.
The commentary is a bit over the top, but the detection is pretty cool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWQctTGYbjE

Surely someone with too much time on their hands has already rolled a DIY version using a cheap thermal camera from Aliexpress and a Raspberry Pi

Steve

Originally Posted by OxxAndBert

Smoke detectors would be pointless as apart from me making lots of it, there's too much dust and crap. Some form of thermal alarm might be OK, but I think practically by the time a sensor in the roof gets to 85deg then you've likely got a pretty decent BBQ going below.

A good fume and dust extraction going while doing hot work means you can use a smoke detector. I have one and it sure goes off reminding met o put my fume/dust extractor on but once the extractor is on the smoke detector is fine.

I have several temp sensors up near my roof just to measure shed temperature. If I forget to turn on my extraction during hot works, and because hot air rises, they will pretty quickly get to over 60ºC without me even noticing any significant heat at floor level.

I have a smoke detector. Not actually mounted, so i can silence it easily if i know why it is sounding. But its there to detect the unexpected smoke if a stray spark gets to the wrong spot.
And i also make a point of not leaving immediately after hot/sparky work.
I like the idea of fire resistant covers. Im sure there are treatments around.
Or maybe old wool fabrics.

The $50 ebay 3x3m fiberglass fire blankets turned up.

Vevor brand, about the weight of heavy canvas and the glass cloth has some sort of coating to bind the fibers.
They even come in a pretty red storage bag!

Quite impressed so far - will see how they hold up longer term.




Steve

9 sqm of fire blanket for $50 is pretty good value.

The Bunnings fire blankets are 2.2 sqm and cost $15.
They would still be OK for a cooking fire, a burning pot of quenching oil, or if something small like a VFD, or a buffing wheel were to catch fire. If you have along shed it may even be worth while to have a blanket at each end.

The significant issue when using a fire blanket is can the blanket reach over and adequately cover the object on fire. to suitably smother the fire. Large is better but it must still get in close enough to smother.

Blankets that are too big for a space can be awkward to get out and implement. Keeping the blanket partly folded is not always an answer as they need to flop over and cover a fire to smother it.

Bigger blankets are useful for wrapping a burning human. Hopefully it never comes to that.

Thanks Bob.
I actually meant to say they are welding blankets.
Definitely too big for an actual fire blanket, and my plan is to use them as covers or curtains.

I’ve got a bunch of the 1m2 aldi fire blankets, and I reckon anything bigger than that is realistically an extinguisher job anyway.

Steve

Originally Posted by clear out

Looking at the latest Aldi cattledog they have 1m x 1m fire blankets for about $7.
Why not just buy a few of these for machine covers?
I pulled out our old Quell blanket from the kitchen cupboard and realised it would soon unravel as the edges weren’t finished at all and threads were loose even though it had never been pulled out of its sheath before.
The Aldi one is branded Delta but looks identical to the old quell from its picky.
H.

You can seal the edges of fibreglass cloth with RTV Silicone, even the basic stuff will do the job, but if you want to get really fussy the red Hi temp variety may be better. When I installed a diesel heater in our hybrid van, I wrapped the exhaust in strips of fire blanket that was given to me by a mate who is in the extinguisher and other fire protection material supply chain. The blanket was unused but had time expired, and after cutting the 40mm wide strips, I used red silicone to bind the edges, and once it had set, I wrapped the flexi exhaust to prevent the heat damaging structural elements and also nearby fuel and electrical lines. I also used a silicone sleeve where the fuel and electrical services entered the heater, because the exhaust exited the heater less than 50 mm away. it has worked well so far.

Originally Posted by russ57

I have a smoke detector. Not actually mounted...

Although a smoke detector will work when not mounted correctly, its response time will be adversely effected. The idea is to have it mounted high which is where the hot smoke goes. By the time the neutral plane has got down to the level of a bench top (is that where yours is?), its all over....

It's usually up on a high shelf. Ceiling is high so not easy to access. Walls are otherwise engaged... Actually just thought of a spot that might work...

I took the hint from the conversations here and checked my shed extinguisher. Its a dry powder and was out of charge. Opps!

I purchased a Co2 extinguisher and a smaller dry powder from a local who sells nothing but fire fighting gear.

It was $260 well spent.


I found out they don't recharge any more. New ones every 5 years.


What is a good use for a used extinguisher cylinder. Its stainless steel and a shame to throw it away.


Grahame

Came across a truck with its rear wheels on fire this morning- cooked brakes lit the tyres. Emptied a little 2kg dry powder job onto it, and it didn't help one bit.
Driver of truck used his own extinguisher, after handing it to me saying "can you open it?"


So moral of the story is if you have one, make sure it's big enough for the potential fire.

Good to hear Grahame. Definitely worth checking them periodically.

They make great small air receivers - for airbrush work or for onboard compressors on 4WD's etc.

Also good pressurised liquid sprayers - like a garden sprayer on steroids filled with compressed air for bulk dispensing of your desired fluid - truck wash, degreaser, or just plain water.

Obviously being a pressure vessel there are some safety considerations, but I'm sure you're all over that aspect.

Steve

Originally Posted by OxxAndBert

Good to hear Grahame. Definitely worth checking them periodically.
They make great small air receivers - for airbrush work or for onboard compressors on 4WD's etc.
Also good pressurised liquid sprayers - like a garden sprayer on steroids filled with compressed air for bulk dispensing of your desired fluid - truck wash, degreaser, or just plain water.
Obviously being a pressure vessel there are some safety considerations, but I'm sure you're all over that aspect.

One safety consideration unrelated to pressure is labelling.

There was a wrecker somewhere in the outer burbs' who put Kero in an old extinguisher to use as an greasy engine cleaner.
One day his offsider was pulling apart an exhaust under a vehicle and he used some CRC to loosen up some stuck fasteners.
For some reason the CRC and the offsides overalls caught fire and another employee seeing the fire picked up the kero filled extinguisher and . . . . . . . .
It could be an urban myth , but it does highlight labelling